Switzerland Today
Dear Swiss Abroad,
Last night, I joined thousands of amateur stargazers on a hilltop to watch the solar eclipse. Did you catch it too? If so, where did you watch it from?
The parched grass in the field also reminded me that Switzerland remains firmly in the grip of a severe heatwave. Nature is under growing stress, yet the Federal Council has decided not to declare a state of emergency, arguing that the situation can still be managed through existing measures.
Enjoy the read,
Thousands of people headed to Swiss hilltops on Wednesday evening to watch the spectacular solar eclipse, causing a few minor traffic jams along the way.
Equipped with special glasses, homemade viewing devices or even welding goggles, spectators witnessed a ‘double’ sunset: first as the moon partially obscured the sun, and then as the sun disappeared below the horizon. The eclipse reached its maximum in Switzerland at around 8:20pm.
Much like a sporting event, the astronomical phenomenon brought together people from all walks of life, well prepared for the occasion with their picnic blankets, cool boxes, snacks and camping chairs.
For once, viewing conditions for the eclipse were ideal across much of Switzerland, much to the delight of photographers. At the moment of peak eclipse, applause broke out at several viewing spots.
The Federal Council has decided that Switzerland’s new package of bilateral agreements with the European Union should be subject to an optional referendum, meaning approval by a simple majority of voters would be sufficient.
In its view, this is in line with the practice followed for the Bilateral Agreements I and II which, from a democratic perspective, “represents the most appropriate solution”.
The so-called “Compass Initiative”, launched in 2024, calls for the package of Swiss-EU agreements to be put to a vote for approval by Swiss voters and the cantons. Its supporters, entrepreneurs from German-speaking Switzerland, want voters and cantons to approve those international treaties that provide for the adoption of important provisions laying down legal rules.
Believing this initiative would threaten Switzerland’s credibility in foreign policy as well as its economic standing, the government rejected the proposal on Thursday without putting forward a counter-proposal. On Wednesday, it had already expressed its opposition to a commission’s proposal calling for a vote requiring a double majority of the people and the cantons.
Securing a yes vote in the referendum on Bilateral Agreements III would be much more difficult if a majority of cantons were required, as the smaller, more conservative cantons tend to vote no on issues relating to European integration. According to certain political experts, a popular majority of around 55% would be needed to secure a cantonal majority.
At its first official meeting on Wednesday after the holiday period, the Federal Council decided not to declare a state of emergency in response to the drought gripping the country. For the time being, it believes the situation can be managed using the usual official structures.
During the weekly press conference, Environment Minister Albert Rösti rejected criticism that the government saw no need to act. He believes that the necessary measures, based on previous experience, are already in place: “At present, there is no urgent need to take further action,” he declared.
According to the Rösti, water and energy supplies are currently secure. He also responded to discontent among farmers by highlighting the measures announced by Economics Minister Guy Parmelin, in particular the reduction in customs duty on animal feed.
In the absence of action by the federal government, it is up to the cantons to take any necessary measures to deal with the consequences of extreme weather.
The Bella Tola glacier in Valais has now disappeared entirely, while the Flims-Laax-Falera ski region in canton Graubünden has been forced to dismantle a chairlift because of rapid glacier retreat.
“The exceptional year we had been anticipating since the end of May has indeed materialised, as the snow melted extremely quickly, the ice was then exposed to the open air, and one heatwave followed another. These are practically the worst possible conditions for glacier melt,” snow scientist Robert Bolognesi told Le Nouvelliste newspaper.
Bella Tola had already been identified as one of Switzerland’s most vulnerable glaciers in 2021. But even the country’s largest glaciers, including the Aletsch, are shrinking at an alarming rate. The final assessment of glacier losses for 2026 will be published at the end of September.
In Graubünden, the local authorities of Flims, Laax and Falera, which have only just taken over the ski area, are already having to say goodbye to a ski lift due to a significant retreat of the glacier to which the pylons were attached. However, this is reportedly only a ‘temporary dismantling’, according to the company that owns the ski area’s infrastructure.
Translated from French, sub-edited by Simon Bradley
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